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Protecting young workers and temp workers

by Adto Mall construction,business
Frame Scaffolding OSHA has focused initiatives on protecting young workers and temp workers – both of whom often fall into the category of new workers. In a 2013 webinar presented by the agency and the American Staffing Association, OSHA administrator David Michaels noted that

“Awareness is absolutely essential,” said Jan Chappel, senior technical specialist at the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety. “You can take [training] to extra levels, using a mentoring program or a buddy system. Administratively, don’t let them do certain tasks until you know they’ve accomplished the training.

 “we have known for decades that new workers, when they first start at a new job, are at greatly increased risk of injury – and we know why: New workers are often not adequately trained in the potential hazards at the new jobsite and the measures they can take to protect themselves.”

In 2013, nearly one-third of the nonfatal occupational injuries or illnesses that involved time away from work were suffered by workers with less than one year of service, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nearly one-quarter of these cases resulted in 31 or more days away from work, said Ken Kolosh, statistics manager at the National Safety Council.

Certain subgroups of new workers are at heightened injury risk. In the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry, 45.4 percent of the injuries and illnesses in 2013 occurred among workers with less than one year of experience. In the construction and extraction industry, it was 34.9 percent.

“That makes sense because a lot of those industries are cyclical; they’re seasonally employed,” Kolosh said. “Almost by definition, many of those workers are always going to be new employees. The construction industry has a lot of seasonal employment. It has a lot of contractor-type workers, so a larger proportion of that population by definition is going to have less than three months of service.”

Construction workers frequently change jobsites as well, which can present problems.

“Every day, you have to be aware of what’s going on. You have to have good communication,” said Scott Schneider, director of occupational safety and health at the Washington-based Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund of North America. “It’s less an issue on unionized sites, where people have a substantial amount of safety training in apprenticeship programs. They also, as apprentices, get mentored along the way. It’s still an issue in the sense you’re going to a different jobsite, and you may not be familiar with that jobsite.”



“People learn differently. Some need more hands-on, some more auditory. [It’s] adapting your styles and making sure everyone really understands, getting them real-life practice, even if it’s simulated. The more real, the more in-context it is, it’s always better.”

Training – especially orientation and reinforcement – is paramount to protecting new workers, experts say. Learn what workers have been trained for, assign appropriate tasks, and don’t assume they know all of their safety rights.



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